


the stars lean down to kiss you, and i lie awake and miss you

by buoyantsaturn



Series: birthday week [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Blindness, Burn injuries, Established Relationship, Fire, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-04 23:46:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18354212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buoyantsaturn/pseuds/buoyantsaturn
Summary: He turned in a circle, glancing at each and every face yet not recognizing a single one. “Whoever did this,” he started, voice level and carrying to each and every camper, “I hope you feel a pain like that, and know that when you do, I won’t be there to fix it.”





	the stars lean down to kiss you, and i lie awake and miss you

**Author's Note:**

> hey yall uhhhhhh this bad boy's been sitting in my drafts for about 2 years because i Could Not get myself to finish it,, but i did it!! i did it for yall and for this event,,, and please dont hate me for it  
> hopefully yall will enjoy  
> thank you eli for naming this fic!! (title is from vanilla twilight by owl city)

There were the usual sounds and shouts of Capture the Flag, and then there was the most blood chilling scream Will had ever heard. His head darted back and forth, searching for the source of the scream, and he shot to his feet when he saw it.

He nearly tripped when he saw what was happening. Green flames - Greek fire - searing into pale skin, hands clawing at burning eyes and never ending screams flying out of his mouth - _Nico’s_ mouth.

“Nico--” Will said, though he couldn’t hear himself over the screaming. He allowed himself only that small moment of shock before he broke into Doctor Mode, dropping to his knees and pulling supplies out of his bag.

Nico tried rolling onto his side, onto his stomach, hoping to smother out the flames, but Will held him back, using his own body weight to pin down Nico’s flailing legs. He removed a strip of Nemean leather from his medical supplies, the only material able to smother Greek fire, but realized another problem.

“Somebody grab his arms,” he called, looking up to see a wide circle of observers around them, either completely still or flinching every time a new scream erupted from Nico’s throat. “Grab his arms so I can put out the fire!”

Finally, somebody moved from the crowd - an Ares camper, Will thought - and knelt at Nico’s head, ripping his arms away from his face. Almost immediately, Will pressed the leather down against Nico’s face, extinguishing the flames, as the son of Hades seemed to finally pass out from the pain.

The forest was silent.

“His hands,” Will said quietly though not any less urgently, revealing two more strips of leather and wrapping his boyfriend’s hands in the material.

Will set a hand on Nico’s chest, feeling the soft rise and fall of his breathing, and sent a quick prayer for healing to his father before rising to his feet.

He turned in a circle, glancing at each and every face yet not recognizing a single one. “Whoever did this,” he started, voice level and carrying to each and every camper, “I hope you feel a pain like that, and know that when you do, I won’t be there to fix it.”

 

Nico was unconscious for almost twenty-four hours. He didn’t move except to breathe, and Will refused to leave his side.

A few times, people came in to speak with him, though he didn’t really listen.

Someone, “We’ll find out who did it, Will, they can’t hide it forever.”

Someone else, “He’s gonna be okay, man, you can heal anything.”

But Will knew better. He wasn’t a god, or even a real doctor, and he almost had to watch his boyfriend die right in front of him.

He must’ve somehow convinced himself to fall asleep, though, and only awoke to the sound of whispers.

“Is anyone there?” a voice hissed at Will’s side, hoarse from disuse. “Please, somebody help me-- I don’t know where I am. Why can’t I see anything? Can anyone hear me? Please--” The voice was cut off by a dry sob, and Will was suddenly wide awake.

“Nico?” he said, loud enough that he was sure his boyfriend heard, but not so loud as to startle him. He set a hand on Nico’s chest, feeling his heart beat a few times before lifting his hand to stroke his thumb across his boyfriend’s cheek. “I’m right here, darling, how are you feeling?”

“Why can’t I see?” Nico asked, voice breaking.

“There was an accident,” Will started calmly, “and you were injured. You’ve got bandages over your eyes and hands right now, but you’re gonna be fine, okay?” Nico nodded, though Will could tell how nervous he still was by the way his teeth worried at his lip. “How do you feel about dinner? Or breakfast? Whatever you want, okay? You’ve been out for a while, I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Nico shrugged, and he could hear Will rising from his seat, feel the warmth of his fingers leaving Nico’s cheek. Before he could stop himself, Nico said, “I’m gonna see again, right, Will? It’s just the bandages covering my eyes. I’ll see again soon. Right?”

 

Nico was handling the injury pretty well, considering. He couldn’t use his hands due to the burns, and his eyes were still bandaged, but Will was constantly healing him, little by little. At one point, after nearly a week, Will laid down next to him in his cot in the infirmary, both of them resting on their sides facing each other. Will set both of his hands on Nico’s cheeks, fingers brushing up under the edges of his bandages, and Nico could feel the calming itch of healing magic, until he didn’t anymore, and he heard the soothing sound of Will’s even breathing as he drifted to sleep.

Nico dreamed of waking up to Will’s sky blue eyes, but when he was actually shaken awake, he was met with darkness. He thought he might be getting used to it, and that thought terrified him.

“Babe,” he heard Will whisper. “Nico, darling, wake up.”

Nico hummed, signaling his consciousness.

“If you wake up, I might be able to take your bandages off,” Will sang, trailing a finger down Nico’s arm and tugging gently at the edge of one of the bandages.

Nico propped himself up on his elbows. “I’m awake, take them off.”

Will grinned, pressing his lips into the side of Nico’s neck to make sure his boyfriend knew how he made him feel. Will slipped a hand under the hem of Nico’s t-shirt, mumbling, “Somebody’s eager.”

“Stop it,” Nico laughed, kicking out with his knee to bump into Will’s. “C’mon, take the _bandages_ off, okay? Is that better?”

“I wouldn’t say _better_ _\--”_ he laughed when Nico groaned. “Alright, alright.” He sat up, helping his boyfriend to do the same while keeping the weight off his injured hands. He unwrapped his hands first, pressing a light kiss to the center of each palm, before moving up to Nico’s eyes.

“Close your eyes,” Will told him, thumbs stroking Nico’s cheeks.

_“Will.”_

“I’ll take it off if you close your eyes,” Will said. “Are they closed?”

Even if he couldn’t see it, he knew Nico was rolling his eyes. “Yes, Will, my eyes are closed.”

Will leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the tip of his boyfriend’s nose before he started unwinding the bandages. The damaged skin was slowly revealed - red and pink and swollen and blistered - and Will had never been happier to see Nico’s entire face.

Once the bandages were all removed and thrown into the bedside trash, Will said, “Okay, open ‘em!”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut before letting them fly open, looking straight ahead with a wide smile. He was, at that moment, the most beautifully heartbreaking thing Will had ever seen. His gorgeous dark eyes - now white and milky and scarred - searched around, and his smile began to fade.

“Will, c’mon,” Nico told him with a pout. “Just do it already! Please, I wanna see you!”

He felt a gentle touch under one eye, the feeling of Will’s fingers where gauze used to be, and then a dull _thud_ as Will’s forehead connected with his own.

“I’m sorry, Nico,” Will whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

Nico felt like he’d been punched in the throat, the air knocked out of his lungs, and a sudden sting in his palms as his own blunt nails cut crescents into barely-healed skin.

 

* * *

 

Will tried to heal Nico every morning when they woke up. He received one drop of Nectar in each eye, three times a day. Whenever he had a free second, Will would rest his hands over Nico’s eyes, but nothing would change. He prayed to his father every night for healing as he laid beside his boyfriend, hands cradling his face and hoping that _something_ would be different.

“Neeks,” Will called into Nico’s room in the infirmary, collapsing heavily on the cot. “I’ve only got a second, but I can try--” He reached a hand out, but Nico intercepted it, wrapping cold fingers around his wrist before Will’s could make contact with his cheek.

“No,” Nico told him forcefully, pulling Will’s hand away. “You sound exhausted. Quit wasting all your energy on me and heal the people that can actually be helped.”

“You _can_ be helped--”

 _"No_ , Will,” he said again, releasing his boyfriend’s wrist. He reached out until his fingers brushed against Will’s face, taking Will’s head in his hands and feeling the soft skin under his eyes with his thumbs. “I can feel the bags under your eyes. You haven’t been sleeping, you’ve been _passing out_ from overexertion. You’re not helping me any, and you’re not helping yourself!”

“I’m _trying_ _,”_ Will told him, hands closing around Nico’s wrists and holding them where they were. “Just let me fix you.”

“It wasn’t your fault!” Nico shouted, tugging himself away. “But it’s going to be if you kill yourself because of this! _Stop_ trying. I just want to go back to my own cabin. I want to walk around, go to the dining pavilion. I want my _boyfriend back.”_

“I’m right here!” Will exclaimed.

“No, you’re _not_ _.”_ Nico pulled himself to the side of the bed, swinging his legs over until his feet hit the ground. “I’m going to my cabin.” He pulled himself to his feet and started walking.

“How do you expect to find it, Nico?” Will asked, sounding harsher than he intended.

“I’ll figure it out,” Nico snapped back at him, hand reaching out for the doorway before he stepped through.

Will collapsed back on the cot, the heels of his palms grinding into his eyes as he tried to ignore the stinging he felt behind them.

He heard voices outside of the room, a few of his siblings though he heard Nico’s in particular, then the slamming of a door, and Will forced himself to choke back a sob.

He must’ve fallen asleep on Nico’s cot. When he was shaken awake by a hand on his arm, he felt terrible - physically and emotionally. He glanced up at his sister, standing over him, and groaned.

“Get out of here, Will,” Kayla told him. “I don’t know what the problem is right now - you guys have been fine this whole time - but whatever you did to piss him off, you better fix it.”

“I was trying to fix it,” Will muttered, sitting up and rubbing his head. He didn’t remember the last time he’d had a headache as bad as he did at that moment. “I was trying to fix _him.”_

“Then take a break for a minute and actually talk to your boyfriend,” Kayla directed. “Maybe he’s got bigger problems that he’s thinking of.”

“He’s lost one of his five senses! What bigger problems could he have?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Kayla asked, turning and walking out of the room.

Will felt like he was collapsing in on himself.

 

Will had promised him that word wouldn’t get out to the rest of camp. He didn’t know how many people were told about his - _disability_ \- but he didn’t want the entire world to know, that was for sure.

So he insisted that he find his way back to his cabin by himself - which he realized shortly was _stupid_ \- and kept his head down. His steps were more like shuffles and his hands were shoved so forcefully in his pockets that if he tripped, he’d have a mouthful of grass and probably a few new bruises.

He did his best to ignore the whispering that seemed to be following him as he walked, hoping that he was at least heading towards the cabins and not the woods. He wasn’t sure if he’d survive if he accidentally stumbled in there.

Nico wasn’t sure if he heard someone come up next to him, or if he almost _felt_ it, but either way, he didn’t want them there.

“Nico,” Annabeth said carefully, resting a hand on his arm, and Nico allowed himself to relax. He’d never been Annabeth’s biggest fan (for obvious reasons) but she’d grown on him since the end of the war. Nico would never admit it out loud, but he’d kind of missed hanging out with Annabeth, since she’d been off getting acquainted with New Rome.

“I heard what happened,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like you were the one that threw the fire directly into my eyes,” Nico told her with a shrug, keeping his head down.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t feel sympathetic,” she told him, and linked their arms together. “Where’re you headed?”

“My cabin.”

“Why’re you walking around alone, anyway?”

“What is this, twenty questions?” Nico huffed. “I’m sick of lying around in the infirmary all day.”

“Sounds like there’s something else,” Annabeth prompted, knocking her hip into Nico’s and almost causing him to fall over. She laughed, stabilizing him quickly. “Sorry, Neeks.”

“Will pissed me off,” Nico told her. “It’s not a big deal, I’ll get over it.”

“I thought you knew by now that holding in your feelings was a bad idea,” she joked, and Nico groaned. Annabeth pulled him to a stop, taking a hold of his shoulders and turning him toward her. “You gotta talk about these things, Neeks, that’s the only way you can fix relationship problems. Everything’s gonna be better in no time, I can feel it.”

“Part of the Athena wisdom?”

“Maybe,” Annabeth laughed, “maybe not. Probably just my own personal experience. But really, you can’t wait around for your problems to resolve themselves, got it?” She shook Nico’s shoulders gently. “Talk to Will.”

“Yeah, Annabeth, I’ll talk to him,” he told her.

“Good.” She squeezed his shoulders and leaned in closer to whisper to him. “When I walk away, take about five steps forward, then you’ll have three stairs into your cabin. Think you can handle it?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Annabeth.”

“Talk to your boy.” Nico felt her press a kiss to his forehead before pulling away completely. “I’ll talk to you later, Neeks.”

Nico frowned. “Whatever.” He walked into his cabin.

 

Nico couldn’t remember why he’d ever enjoyed sitting alone in his cabin. He couldn’t remember what he’d done to entertain himself, and he figured that even if he did, whatever it was probably involved the use of his eyes anyway. So instead, he sat on his bed, knees hugged to his chest, and rested his chin atop his knees.

He could hear people and various creatures outside his cabin, the faint sounds of splashing water and the clashing of swords in the distance. He heard the sound of footsteps rising toward his cabin door, and tensed in anticipation, until the sound stopped. Nico didn’t hear anything for a few moments, before he got tired of waiting.

“If you’re going to come inside then do it already,” he called out angrily, and he heard the door swing open and shut again.

“I wasn’t sure you’d want to see me,” Will’s voice came from across the room. “I mean-- Not see, I mean, but, uh, I wasn’t sure you’d want to hear from me?”

“That depends,” Nico told him calmly. “Are you here as my boyfriend or my doctor?”

Will paused. “What do you mean?”

Nico frowned. “I meant what I _said_ _,_ Will. Are you here as my boyfriend or my doctor?”

“Can’t I be both?”

Nico’s head snapped up in the direction he thought Will to be, eyes narrowing. “No. You have to choose one.”

“What?”

“Doctor or boyfriend, Will,” Nico shouted. “What’s more important to you? Your boyfriend or your newest patient?”

“Why can’t you be both?”

“Because I don’t _want_ to be both!” Nico nearly screamed, hands falling to grip tightly to the sheets on his bed. He took a breath, head tipping down. When he spoke again, his voice was toneless, almost numb. “Patient or boyfriend.”

He heard Will’s steps crossing the room before he kneeled at the side of Nico’s bed. “That's dumb. Of _course_ you’re my boyfriend, Nico.”

“Then start treating me like it.”

Will was clearly taken aback. “I don’t understand.”

“You treat me like a _patient_ _._ You haven’t even _touched me_ since the accident, except to try to heal me. I want my boyfriend back. My boyfriend who will hold my hand and _speak_ to me, not try to heal the unhealable and then pass out from exhaustion before I can even get a sentence out.”

Nico felt the mattress shift as Will sat down across from him. He covered Nico’s hands with his own, but Nico drew back, crossing his arms and keeping his head down, closed off.

“I’m sorry, Nico,” Will told him softly. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Because you don’t talk to me anymore,” Nico spat.

“I’m _sorry_ _._ I just want to try to fix you.”

“I don’t need fixing!” Nico exclaimed. “I don’t need to see to survive! I can live a perfectly normal blind life!”

“But you’re _not_ normal,” Will tried to tell him. “Do you know how much easier it’ll be for someone or some _thing_ to attack you? I don’t want to lose you, Nico!”

“I don’t want to lose you either, but that’s what’ll happen if you don’t stop.”

“What, you’ll kill me before I kill myself?” Will scoffed.

“No,” Nico said, arms tightening around his stomach. “I’ll leave.”

Will’s breath hitched. “What?”

“If you don’t stop trying to heal me - if you don’t stop _slowly killing yourself_ \- I’ll leave. I’ll find my way to New Rome or something, and then-- Then you won’t have a choice.”

“Nico,” Will whispered. “Neeks, please don’t. Please don’t leave me.”

“Stop trying to heal me, and I won’t.”

“Boyfriend,” Will choked out. His breathing sounded strange, stuttered, like he was crying.

“What?” Nico asked, unsure of what was said.

“Boyfriend. I pick boyfriend,” Will said again. “I don’t want to lose you - either way - but at least if you’re here I can keep you safe.”

Nico reached a hand out, fingers brushing hesitantly against Will’s cheek before moving back to tangle in the hair at the back of his head.

“I’d rather never see anything again in my entire life than have you put yourself in a coma because of me.” Nico tugged Will closer until their foreheads knocked together.

Will sighed, eyes sliding shut and hands folding in his lap. “I want us to both be happy.”

“I _am_ happy,” Nico insisted, tugging at Will’s hair. “Besides, we don’t always get what we want.”

“Right, of course,” Will said quietly, finally starting to relax.

Nico hummed. “You know what I do want, though?”

Will’s eyes opened, locking on Nico’s scarred irises. “What’s that?”

Nico looked like he was trying to suppress a smile. “I want my boyfriend to touch me again.”

Will’s hands moved to Nico’s waist, fingers squeezing his hips. “I can do that,” he whispered before Nico tugged him close and kissed him, humming contentedly as he felt his back press against his mattress.

“I love you,” Nico breathed into Will’s lips, and Will repeated it back to him.

“I love you,” Will said with a kiss to Nico’s lips. “I love you,” with a kiss to his jaw. “I love you,” into his neck.

 

Will and Nico didn’t move from the Hades cabin for a few hours. They lied down side by side on Nico’s bed, turned to face each other. Nico’s eyes were closed, though Will knew he wasn’t asleep - he could never fall asleep so easily.

Will’s fingers traced aimlessly up and down Nico’s back, studying the damaged skin around his boyfriend’s eyes and sending a silent prayer to his father once more. His hand brushed up to Nico’s cheek, thumb running along the edge of the scar.

Nico’s hand closed around Will’s wrist, halting his movements. “What do you think you’re doing?” Nico asked, eyes cracking open. “You’re not trying to heal me again, are you?”

“Do you really think I’d break a promise so soon?” Will asked. He pulled his hand back, moving to lace his fingers with Nico’s and letting their hands rest between them. “I wasn’t trying to heal you.”

“Good.” Nico tucked himself closer to his boyfriend, eyes sliding shut once more. Will sighed, fingers twitching against Nico’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Will told him, but Nico squeezed his fingers. Will pressed a kiss to his forehead. “It’s your freckles.”

“What about my freckles?” Nico turned his head into his pillow self-consciously.

Will took a breath. “I miss them.”

Nico detangled his fingers from Will’s, reaching up to his cheek and smushing at the skin, as if he could’ve felt the tiny blemishes in his skin. Instead, he noticed the smooth, tough feeling of heavy scarring. “You-- What?”

Will covered Nico’s hand with his own. “I’ve always loved your freckles. They were so tiny that I had to get this close just to see them, and _gods_ they were adorable. Just up at the high points of your cheekbones, and across the bridge of your nose.” Will paused, his faint smile vanishing. “Now it’s all scars.”

Nico frowned, quiet for a moment before he tilted his head up, as if trying to glare into Will’s eyes. “Are you telling me I’m not cute anymore?”

“Of course not,” Will said calmly, grinning. “You’re the cutest person I’ve ever met, and you always will be, freckles or not.”

Nico continued to glare for half a second longer before starting to laugh. “Gods, you’re cheesy.”

“But you love me anyway!” Will wrapped his arm around Nico’s waist, rolling the both of them over until he laid completely on top of his boyfriend, peppering his face with kisses.

Nico couldn’t help but laugh, pushing almost effortlessly at Will’s chest to try and knock him away. Will pulled himself back, resting his forehead against Nico’s and gazing down at him lovingly. Will’s smile faded once more as his eyes lingered on the scars, squeezing them shut as he chose his next words carefully.

“You’ll still take the nectar eye drops, right?” Will asked, voice almost a whisper.

“Will--”

“It won’t take any effort from me,” Will assured him. “Three times a day, and maybe, _maybe_ you’ll be healed soon. _Please_ _,_ Nico, I want you to be healed. _Please.”_

Nico pouted.

“I know my puppy dog eyes aren’t gonna work, so you gotta listen to my voice. Please, Nico, _please .”_

Nico sighed, rolling his eyes. “You just want me to look cute again.”

“You _always_ look cute, babe, I promise.”

Nico paused, clearly taking a second to think over his options. “If I burst into flames from too much nectar, it’ll be your fault.”

“I’d never let that happen.”

“Fine, then,” Nico sighed. “I guess there’s not any harm in trying.”

Will beamed, dipping down to press a kiss to Nico’s lips. “Thank you, darling.”

 

* * *

 

Nico pressed his hands against the wall of his cabin, concentrating on his best memory of the arena. The image was fuzzy - then again, so were most of Nico’s visual memories at this point - but Nico kept his focus on the feeling of moving from one location to another. Such a small jump shouldn’t have been any kind of problem, but Nico still felt his feet stable on solid ground.

He smacked his hand against the wall in frustration before trying to envision another place - _any_ other place - but all of his memories were too foggy. He hit the wall again, punching and kicking and slamming his shoulder into it until he finally felt his feet leave the ground and the breath-taking chill of darkness shocked him. He had a moment of panic when he realized he had no idea where he would end up, but the feeling fell away to pain when his arm collided with a cool, tiled ground.

Nico scrambled into a sitting position, head darting around in every direction in an attempt to hear something, anything to help him figure out where he’d landed, but as far as his senses could tell, he had trapped himself in a tiled icebox.

He stood, holding his arms out and taking shaky steps, expecting to feel a wall inches in front of him, but his hands felt nothing but cool air. His shuffling footsteps echoed in the room, much more spacious that Nico had first assumed, sounding like whispers following him as he went.

 _My Lord_ _,_ his footsteps whispered. He tried to ignore the sound as he shuffled further.

 _My Lord, let us help_ _,_ his steps hissed. _We can help. Let us help._

“I don’t want your help,” Nico spat, starting to feel lightheaded. “I’ll figure out where I am on my own.”

 _My Lord, you are weak,_ the hissing continued. _We will help, if you will listen._

“Help how?” Nico asked hesitantly.

_We will return your sight for barely anything in return. You must follow._

“How am I supposed to follow if I can’t see what I’m following?” Nico scoffed.

_The sounds, the voice. We will lead, and you will follow._

Nico’s footsteps stuttered, unsure of whether he should listen, but continued on. If they could promise him his sight back, he could at least hear out the rest of the deal.

He kept his arms out, still only shuffling along, though he felt a pressure at his back that seemed to be pushing him faster.

_Hurry, My Lord. Trouble comes. We must hurry!_

“This is as fast as I can move!” Nico shouted.

 _Trouble!_ the voices hissed, and then they were gone.

“Hello?” Nico called, feet stilling and arms dropping to his sides. “Where did you go?”

Loud, solid steps began to echo across the hall behind him, causing Nico to spin around, expecting to be able to see what was following him. He was, of course, disappointed.

“Who’s there?” he shouted.

“Do you not recognize your own father?” Hades’s voice boomed.

“Not when I can’t see him, no,” Nico growled.

“What do you mean, you cannot--” Hades was much closer now, Nico could tell. “--I see.”

“I don’t,” Nico muttered.

“Don’t take that tone with me, boy,” Hades warned him. “Tell me, what are you doing in the palace?”

Nico ducked his head. “I didn’t know that’s where I ended up.”

“Shadow traveling without a clear destination and listening to the words of untrustful spirits,” Hades said to himself. “How old are you? Ten? Eleven?”

“Sixteen,” Nico ground out.

Hades hummed. “Hard to believe when you’re acting like a child again. What’s got you so desperate this time around?”

“I’m _blind,_ Father.”

“So it seems. And how did that happen? Attacked by a wild beast?”

“Greek fire.”

Hades paused in shock. “I’m sorry, my son.” He set a hand on Nico’s shoulder, causing the boy to flinch at the unanticipated touch. “I wish there was something I could do to help, but as you know, even the gods’ powers are limited, and I am not a healer.”

Nico nodded his head solemnly.

“If there’s anything else I could do to help?” his father offered.

Nico tipped his head up, as if to meet his father’s eyes, and asked, “Could you send me back to camp? I don’t know how I got here, and I’m not sure I could make it back by myself.”

“Of course, my son. I wish you the best of luck in healing.”

 

Nico scraped his knee and skinned his palms upon reentry, and bumped into what he guessed was a table. He once again found that he had no idea where he was, and when he pulled himself to his feet, his hand brushed against something similar to a bedsheet. He was back in his cabin, then?

“Nico?” Kayla’s voice came from behind him. “What are you doing in here? Will’s been looking for you for hours.”

“Hours?” he repeated. “Uh, where am I?”

“The Apollo cabin,” Kayla answered. “You’re standing right next to Will’s bed. You know what, stay right there. I’m gonna go find him.”

The sound of the cabin door swinging open and slamming itself shut. Nico felt around himself for Will’s bed, sitting down when he found it and hearing the springs squeak under his weight. He laid back after a moment, resting his head against Will’s pillow and letting the recognizable scent of his boyfriend cover him.

“Nico?” Will’s voice came seconds later, followed by the sound of the door slamming shut once more and a dull _thud_ which was probably Will’s knees hitting the ground beside the bed. Nico rolled onto his side, facing the direction Will’s voice had come from, and Will’s hand landed on his cheek. “Where’ve you been? I was worried.”

“I spoke to my father,” Nico told him. “He said that even he couldn’t heal me, so you should stop trying.”

“That’s not what he said,” Will breathed, and Nico could hear the smile in his voice.

“No, it’s not,” Nico replied with a smile of his own. Will’s thumb stroked gently against his cheek, but froze after a moment.

“Wait, does that mean you were shadow traveling? When you couldn’t see where you were? Nico!”

He turned his head into Will’s pillow, trying to hide his growing smile. Who knew that doing something stupid and dangerous would be what brought his boyfriend back to him? He’d have to start doing stupid things more often.

“You missed getting your eyedrops this morning because of that,” Will scolded. Nico rolled his eyes, but turned onto his back anyway. He felt the sting of the drop hitting his eye, flinching at the pain and squeezing his eyes shut. “What was that?” Will asked, holding back from doing the second drop.

“You dropped nectar in my eye,” Nico told him sarcastically. He reached up to rub at his eye. “It kinda stung this time.”

“Move your hand, let me do the other one,” Will directed, watching his boyfriend flinch with the second drop. “Did that one hurt, too?” Nico nodded. Will set the nectar aside before leaning down and capturing Nico’s lips in a kiss.

“If you’re trying to kiss the pain away, I think you’re supposed to kiss the injury,” Nico told him. “But, you know, I’m not the doctor here, so what do I know.”

“You’re getting feeling back,” Will said before pressing another kiss to Nico’s lips. “I think you’re finally starting to heal. You’re _healing,_ Neeks.”

 

* * *

 

Day by day, the milky white scars that covered Nico’s eyes slowly faded back to his dark chocolate brown. He still couldn’t see, and the skin around his eyes was just as scarred as it had been - and that likely wouldn’t change - but he was _healing._

He’d taken to spending the night in the Apollo cabin after Will had discovered that he was covered in bruises from bumping into things around his own cabin. The Apollo cabin was closer to both the infirmary and the dining pavilion, too, which was why they hadn’t chosen to stay in the Hades cabin - it was worth it even with all the teasing from Will’s siblings.

Nico wasn’t sure whether he woke up because of the kisses that Will pressed all over his face and shoulder, or if it had been all the other Apollo kids shouting at them to get a room, but either way, Nico was awake. He cracked his eyes open, and the first thing he noticed was that everything was _bright._ There were no colors, no shapes, just _light._

“‘s bright,” Nico muttered and shoved his face into the pillow.

“What?” Will asked, and Nico felt the mattress moving as Will shifted. “Did you say _it’s bright?_ Can you _see?_ Babe, look at me.”

Nico flopped onto his back and opened his eyes once more, wincing at the brightness he was unaccustomed to after so long. He felt Will’s hands on his cheeks, turning his head slightly.

“You can’t see me,” Will whispered, sounding like his heart was breaking. Then, a second later, he spoke again in his Serious Doctor Voice. “Stay right here, let me go get your eyedrops.” And with that, the bed shifted again as Will moved away.

The next few mornings were much of the same - Will getting his hopes up that Nico’s vision was suddenly restored and subsequently having his heart broken when he found that there hadn’t been any change.

Until one morning when Will woke up with fingers carding through his hair, his eyes opening to see Nico staring right at him.

“Can you see?” Will whispered, trying to keep his hopes from spiking up like they had every other time before.

The corner of Nico’s lips quirked up. “Sorta.”

“Sorta… What does _sorta_ mean?”

Nico’s fingers moved through Will’s hair again. “I see yellow, and the light where the window is. Shapes and colors, but it’s all too fuzzy to see what any of it is.”

“You can see,” Will said, and drew Nico in for a kiss. “You can _see!”_ He threw himself at Nico with so much force that the two tumbled out of bed altogether, and from the floor Will announced, _“He can see!”_

“Gods, Will, would you _shut up?”_ one of his siblings called from their bunk, but Will was too busy wrapping a laughing Nico up in his arms and kissing every inch of him that he could reach.

Once they’d successfully woken up every member of the Apollo cabin - unintentionally, Will might argue - the two were kicked out of the cabin for an early breakfast. Kayla called after them to have them meet her in the infirmary after they’d eaten to do an eye exam - she’d taken over as Nico’s “doctor” after the boyfriend/patient debate.

 

Until Nico’s eyes had finished healing, he would need to wear glasses - he might need them for the rest of his life, depending on the extent to which his eyes actually healed. Kayla had handed Will a pair of glasses, explaining that she’d already broken the news to him, and gestured for Will to head back into the room where Nico was waiting.

He held up the glasses - simple, thick black frames with coke-bottle lenses - and grinned. He unfolded the arms and placed the glasses on the bridge of Nico’s nose, wrapped the arms around his ears, and tugged his head closer to press their lips together.

As Will pulled away, Nico grinned ear-to-ear, actually _seeing_ him for the first time in _months,_ and said, “Hi Sunshine.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!  
> i understand there's that one line in there,,, where nico's like "hey i WILL leave you if you dont cut it out" and i get that thats,, a little uh,,, abusive but let's remember that these are children and i wrote this fic as a child so if u dont like that line,, ignore it i guess


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